Air Fryer Granola

This is seriously the best 15-minute air fryer granola recipe ever! It’s chunky, naturally sweetened with honey, and made with six simple and healthy ingredients like rolled oats, coconut oil, and your favorite nuts.

15 minute air fryer granola

I am obsessed with this easy air fryer granola recipe! It tastes like cereal, is healthy, and only takes 15 minutes to make. Granola is a staple in my kitchen, but classic recipes take 45 minutes. I love this apple pie granola and this nutty granola, but I make this air fryer version when I need a quick and easy under 15-minute recipe.

Air fryer granola is easy to make and only calls for six simple ingredients. You need rolled oats, coconut oil, honey or maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and your favorite nuts. Personally, I love adding pecans or walnuts but feel free to use almond slivers, cashews, or peanuts.

Air-fried granola is crispy, chunky, and perfectly sweet. It’s flavored with vanilla and a dash of cinnamon; plus, this recipe has no refined sugars since we only use honey to sweeten it naturally.

The best part about this air fryer granola recipe is that you can customize it to make it your own! You can add shredded coconut, use any nut, add nut butter for flavor, and even add dried fruit and chocolate chips. I left many recipe variations below for you!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Air fryer granola is crispy, chunky, and nutty.
• The easiest and quickest 15 minute granola recipe.
• It’s naturally sweetened with honey.
• It is gluten-free and can be made vegan and nut-free.
• Perfect for meal prep breakfast, snack, and dessert.
• It tastes like cereal.
• Kids will love it.
• Try these air fryer pears next, and top them with this air fryer granola!

Ingredients needed

Air fryer granola calls for six simple ingredients. You need old fashion rolled oats, coconut oil, vanilla, honey or maple syrup, cinnamon, and any nuts. Here is a list of everything you need so you are prepared:

• Oats: For best results, use old-fashioned rolled oats for air fryer granola. You can use regular or gluten-free certified oats.
• Nuts: You can use any type of nut you want! I used pecans in my pictures, but I love using almond slivers, walnuts, peanuts, and cashews.
• Cinnamon: To flavor the granola – trust me, it is so good!
• Salt: For the perfect sweet and salty combination.
• Honey: To naturally sweeten this healthy granola and help it stick together when air-fried. Honey helps make the granola extra chunky.
• Coconut Oil: To crispen up the air fryer granola and add healthy fat.
• Vanilla Extract: For a little flavor. I love the taste of vanilla.

Kitchen tools required

Here is a list of kitchen utensils you will need to make air fryer granola.

• Air Fryer
• Parchment Paper
• Spatula
• Measuring Tools: 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon, and 1/3 cup.

How to make air fryer granola

Air fryer granola only takes 15 minutes to make – this is the easiest and quickest granola recipe ever! Here are detailed step-by-step instructions with pictures for visual reference so any level cook can make them. The full recipe and ingredient measurements are at the bottom of this page in the recipe card.

Step 1:

First, mix all ingredients together in a bowl and stir well to combine.

Step 2:

Now, line your air fryer basket with parchment paper (this is important). Then, pour the granola mixture into the lined basket and press down using a spatula to create an even layer.

Step 3:

Air fry at 330°F for 8 – 12 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Check at the 5-minute mark to ensure the granola is not burning. The granola will continue to “darken” as it cools.

Step 4:

Finally, remove the basket from the air fryer and let it cool for 5 – 10 minutes before trying to remove the granola. Now, grab the edges of the parchment paper, remove the granola from the basket, and lay it out on the countertop to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Expert tips for chunky air fryer granola

Line your air fryer basket with parchment paper. This is my #1 tip for air fryer granola. The granola will fall through the grate and burn if you don’t do this.

Don’t skip out on honey or coconut oil. These ingredients are super important to holding the granola together and ensuring it is crispy and chunky.

Press the granola down in an even layer before air frying. Pressing down the granola into an even and dense layer makes sure that it is chunky and not loose. Trust me when I say this makes a huge difference.

Make it ahead of time. I love that you can meal prep air fryer granola as a quick breakfast or snack. You can even enjoy it as a dessert with milk or ice cream.

Air fryer granola flavor variations:

Air fryer granola is very customizable! Here is a detailed list of different flavor variations you can try.

• Coconut. Add 1/4 cup of shredded coconut to your granola mixture before air frying.
• Peanut Butter. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter to your granola mixture before air frying.
• Almond Butter. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons to the granola mixture.
• Chocolate Chip. Add 1/3 cup of chocolate chips to your air-fried granola after it has cooled.
• Dried Fruit. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of your favorite dried fruit to your air-fried granola after it has cooled. I love raisins, blueberries, apples, pineapples, and cranberries.
• M&Ms: Add 1/3 cup of mini m&ms to your air-fried granola after it has cooled.

Ingredient substitutions:

Here is a list of the best ingredient substitutions for this air fryer granola. I only recommend swapping 1 – 2 ingredients so the original recipe doesn’t completely change.

• Coconut Oil: You can substitute the coconut oil with grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, olive oil, melted butter, or vegan butter if needed. You can even use peanut butter or almond butter if needed. For the crispiest granola, don’t use butter.
• Honey: You can also use maple syrup to make this recipe vegan.
• Cinnamon: You can use pumpkin pie spice to make pumpkin spice granola.
• Make it Vegan: Swap the honey for maple syrup.
• Make it Nut-Free: Leave off the nuts. You can substitute it with chocolate chips or dried fruit AFTER you are done air frying the granola and letting it cool.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does air fryer granola taste like?

Air fryer granola tastes like classic honey cinnamon granola. It is sweet and perfectly flavored with vanilla extract and ground cinnamon.

Can I use quick oats?

I do not recommend using quick oats for air fryer granola.

Can I use steel-cut oats?

No, do not use steel-cut oats for air fryer granola.

Can I make it nut-free?

You can easily make this granola recipe nut-free; just omit the nuts.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

Yes, this granola recipe is 100% gluten-free. Just make sure you use gluten-free certified rolled oats.

Can I make it vegan?

Yes! Make this air fryer granola recipe vegan by substituting honey with maple syrup.

What’s the best substitute for coconut oil?

If you don’t have coconut oil, you can use grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, or olive oil.

Can I use maple syrup instead of honey?

Yes, you can substitute maple syrup with honey in this granola recipe.

Can I double the recipe?

You can certainly double or triple the recipe; however, air fryer granola needs to bake in one even layer. If not, it will be soggy. So, if you want to double this recipe, I recommend air frying in batches.

Does granola go bad?

This air fryer granola lasts for about 2 – 3 weeks if stored correctly in an airtight container or bag. If stored incorrectly, homemade granola can go bad. If it is soft, sticky, or has a weird smell, throw it away.

How to store and freeze granola:

Storing: Store your homemade granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 – 3 weeks.

Freezing: Add your air fryer granola to a sealable freezer bag and freezer for up to 3 months.

If you love this recipe, try these next!

• Healthy Apple Pie Granola
• Frozen Yogurt Granola Bars
• Healthy Nutty Granola
• Protein Acai Bowl
• Air Fryer Baked Oats

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don’t forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!

I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. In full disclosure, by purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. Thank you for supporting Healthful Blondie!

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